1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric power conservation system, and more specifically, how a system comprised of a DC rechargeable energy source, an energy charger component, an inverter unit, a bypass isolation circuit, and a monitor and control unit can be configured to supply a load circuit, located in industrial, commercial, and residential dwellings, with the power that is required and demanded, while conserving the power supplied by an AC utility power source. Also, a cost savings can be experienced by industrial, commercial and residential users of electric power. When utility companies offer off-peak rates to consumers of electrical power, it becomes exceedingly desirable to have such a system in place.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently, to the extent that power conservation units exist, such systems are elaborate. Examples are, solar panel systems and wind powered systems, which require an extensive amount of labor to install, and are aesthetically unattractive. These systems often involve additional circuitry and hardware for supplying some degree of power back to the utility power source. Consequently, such systems are prohibitively expensive.
For many years consumption of electric power in the industrialized counties has been mainly based on the burning of fossil fuels and has spiraled to the point where consumers are seeking alternative sources to power their homes, factories, etc. The electric power conservation system introduced here addresses this issue in a way to get more out of a limited resource as well as any new source of power generation that emerges. The electric power conservation system optimizes the use of a utility power source, consequently reducing the expense paid by consumers for using the utility power source, and as a result, conserving the utility power source.
The preferred embodiments introduced here encompass three types of systems, a stand-alone, an integrated, and a service entry system. Scaleable systems can be installed at the service entry of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. An even smaller system comprised of an energy charger component, a DC rechargeable energy source, a bypass isolation circuit, a monitor and control unit, an inverter unit, and other necessary circuitry can be integrated into appliances. Additionally, a stand alone system is contemplated that can be used between an AC outlet within residential, commercial, and industrial dwellings, and equipment requiring power.
Currently, the national electrical grid is being utilized nearly to its maximum capacity, and the cost of generating power for residential, commercial, and industrial use is increasing. While the exploration and development of new sources of energy, such as hydrogen, solar, biofuels, geothermal, and wind is being conducted, the apparent limitations surrounding the use of fossil fuels are being realized. The efficient use of energy, whatever the source, now and always, is critical. To this end, an electric power conservation system is being introduced herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,163, issued on Jun. 12, 1979, to Henry R. Eriksen and Hans M. Beierholm, discloses an inverter circuit for operating an asynchronous motor having an adjustable speed, that converts AC to DC and then back again to AC.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,785, issued on Aug. 14, 1979, to Thomas A. Young and Jay W. Gustin, discloses a multiphase to single phase and frequency converter system, that converts AC to DC and then back again to AC.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,475, issued on Feb. 10, 1987, to Dietmar Fischer and Christian Kublick, discloses an uninterruptible power supply (“UPS”) which converts AC to DC to charge a storage battery, and then converts DC from the battery back to AC when the normal source of AC is interrupted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,520, issued on Jun. 9, 1987, to Shigeta Ueda et al., discloses a current-source power converting apparatus with self-extinction devices, that converts AC to DC and then back again to AC, and that supplies power from a battery intermittently when the normal AC power source fails.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,819, issued on Jan. 15, 1991, to Haruyoshi Mori and Nobuo Sashida, discloses an AC to DC to AC apparatus having a battery charging and discharging feature, employed in a non-failure power unit and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,710, issued on Oct. 22, 1991, to Masao Iwasa, discloses an elevator power source device, to provide power to elevators during a power failure, that converts AC to DC, and converts stored DC to AC during a power outage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,497, issued on May 24, 1994, to Alex J. Severinsky, discloses a power conditioner that inputs AC power having distortion and noise, converts it to DC that is stored in capacitors, and then converted to clean AC power without the distortion and noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,591, issued on Jun. 16, 1998, to Joseph F. Pinkerton, discloses a method and apparatus for providing startup power to a diesel-generator-backed uninterruptible power supply, that converts AC to DC and back again to AC.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,175, issued on Aug. 1, 2000, to Howard Hong-Dough Lee, discloses an energy-conserving power-supply system using keep-alive DC power to consistently power a control circuit so as to make a main power supply readily usable for either distributing AC power or supplying regulated DC power.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,764, issued on Aug. 29, 2000, to Satoshi Atou, Haruhiko Ikeda and Hitoshi Mikami, discloses converts AC to DC and back again to AC.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,764, issued on Aug. 29, 2000, to Satoshi Atou, Haruhiko Ikeda and Hitoshi Mikami, discloses conversion of AC to DC and back again to AC.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0238196, published on Oct. 2, 2008, to Chao Yan et al., discloses an energy recycle system for use with an AC power supply. AC power is rectified to DC and filtered to remove high-frequency harmonics, and then converted back to AC and returned to the utility grid.
Japanese Patent No. 2006-271097, published on Oct. 5, 2006, inventors Toshio Inoue and Kazuyuki Kodera, discloses an uninterruptible power supply, in which AC power is rectified into DC power and stored in a battery. When there is a power failure, the DC power from the battery is inverted back into AC.
Note that none of the references cited above disclose the routine use of converting AC to DC that is stored in a battery, then converted back to AC, to conserve power during normal operation of a home or business when there is not a power failure or interruption. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.